Abstract
The maternity wear market is a small part of the womenswear sector, and has remained relatively static in value size over the past five years. It is a sector that appears to undergo regular churn - non-specialists tend to dip in-and-out - and it has, over the longer period, suffered from the declining birth rate and therefore fewer women getting pregnant and needing maternity clothing.
However, positive factors include the growing acceptance of shopping online - which gives physical retailers much greater reach - and the increasing fashionability of maternity wear, helped by celebrities showing off their ' bumps' in stylish and more figure-hugging outfits.
Still, there are challenges - not least of which are seen from Mintel' s exclusive consumer research which shows that while many women regard maternity wear as comfortable, many also regard it as too expensive, frumpy and unfashionable. They also think there is not enough choice.
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